10 reasons why your stag do should be in Liverpool

You’re about to tie the knot with the love of your life – but it’s time to have one last night out with the boys as a bachelor.

Fun and games have got to be on the agenda, along with dining and drinking as you say goodbye to single life in style – and you couldn’t pick a more perfect place than Liverpool.

There’s plenty to do for every age of your group whether you fancy kicking it off with a match in the footie capital or braving a burger challenge in one of the city’s many restaurants.

You can’t be stuck for ideas but here’s our 10 reasons why Liverpool is stag central…

1 – Where to stay

The Bond Duplex at Signature Living

Lots of places to choose from but for starters, Signature Living Hotel Bond Duplex in Stanley Street is licensed to thrill. Designed around the popular movie franchise The Bond Duplex suite has three self-contained quarters; wall-sized windows look out across the city while ‘James’ keep a careful watch.

Scoring with Reds is the Shankly Hotel in Victoria Street created as a tribute to LFC manager Bill Shankly. Well-equipped rooms and suites and you’re surrounded by memorabilia like Shankly’s original LFC contract and This Is Your Life book.

For Everton fans… the Dixie Dean Hotel has transformed the The Grade II listed Gothic Jerome and Carlisle buildings opposite the Shankly Hotel into a four star hotel to honour the life of Everton legend William Ralph “Dixie” Dean.

Dream Apartments on Water Street offer serviced studios with TV, free WiFi, complimentary toiletries and a kitchenette with all the essentials to cook hangover conquering breakfasts after a night on the town.

2 – Let the games begin

The Romans at Aintree

Taking its inspiration from TV shows like The Gladiators, The Romans in Aintree is the UK’s first ever purpose-built Hen & Stag activity Park in Liverpool, with team tournaments and togas for hire so you can get into character. To commemorate the Stag’s special day The Emperor has arranged a series of Gladiatorial Games so you and your fellow Plebs can form a legion and compete in eight games and challenges for a stag party that will go down in history.

3 – Close shave

BarberBarber

Spruce up the stag and the rest of the herd before the big night out with a bit of beard maintenance at one of Liverpool’s swanky barber shops. BarberBarber in Liverpool ONE is razor sharp at offering classic cuts, beard sculpting or the ultimate cut throat shave.

4 – Best bar none

Peaky Blinder’s Bar & Food

No stag do would be complete without a good old bar crawl and Liverpool has got everything from traditional boozers to sports bars and themed watering holes… starting with Berry and Rye in Berry Street. A speakeasy-style bar behind thick black curtains and with bare brick walls, packed with dark leather and old wood. Whisky and gin are big, as is jazz and blues music – so it serves up atmosphere by the bucketload too.

It might not be The Garrison Tavern, but Peaky Blinder’s is a 1920s themed pub paying homage to the gangster drama, with period wallpaper, lighting and Victorian features in the old Cains Brewery Village. There’s live music and you can raise a toast with a Thomas Shelby cocktail.

You’ve seen the film, now go to the bar where the bartenders perform every evening and dancing is as much on the menu as the drinks. Coyote Ugly on Bold Street is fab, fun and loud.

Get stuck into Liquor & All Sorts rum revelry tasting classes at Ma Boyles in Tower Gardens. Its resident rum connoisseur will guide you through a lesson in spirit tasting with four delicious rums and round off the two-hour session with rum cakes and a cocktail.

For booze and ball games make sure you stop by Roxy Ballroom at Rainford Square (just off Mathew Street). You can get involved in a load of games including Table Tennis, Beer Pong, Roxy Golf and there is even bowling! As well as all of this, they serve up great food, there’s loads of big TV screen’s for the sport and they take group bookings.

If you’re looking for some good craic and the best Guinness in Liverpool, then make sure you head to Punch Tarmey’s in Cains Brewery Village. Based on the boxing legend Michael ‘Punch’ Tarmey, this 1000 capacity bar proudly displays his picture and hints to his winning spirit through its décor, menus and atmosphere.

5 – Football mad

In a city with two of the greatest teams in the country you might want to take in a game if you can get tickets for Liverpool or Everton. If you’re not lucky enough to grab a ticket there are loads of sports bars that screen the big games – like iconic warehouse venue Camp & Furnace – or book a stadium tour with either the Reds or the Blues.

6 – Music heritage

The Cavern Club Liverpool

Mathew Street is a must for Beatles fans and home of Fab Four history like the musical ‘wall of fame’ and a tribute statue of John Lennon. Go to the newly-refurbished Grapes pub – once the haunt of the Fab Four or check out the world-famous Cavern Club filled with 1960s memorabilia, and regular host to live tribute acts.

7 – Make a splash

Liverpool Watersports Centre

If you’re looking to do something different to do, why not brave the River Mersey with a trip to Liverpool Watersports Centre. Just a 10-minute walk from the Albert Dock based in Queens Dock, you can spend an hour or more, trying stand-up paddleboards, sit-on kayaks or go for the challenge of the inflatable total wipe out aqua park course.

Adventure Dock, which is another of Liverpool’s aquatic attractions is situated at the Royal Albert Dock. This adrenaline-fuelled inflatable aqua park features 50 joined-up inflatable obstacles, including the Tire Run, Ninja Jump and Dragon Tail and with free-fall slides, rafts and barriers.

8 – Restaurants

For a busy stag weekend you need to keep your strength up and good food should be high on the agenda: Try Santa Maluco Rodizio Pizza and Cocktail Bar in Castle Streetwhere you pay a ‘preco fixo’ and staff will ‘keep it coming’ with a selection of savoury and sweet pizzas from the wood-burning kilns; orHope Street’s Death Row Diner a dive bar and diner just a stone’s throw from the cathedrals with plenty of ‘dirty’ food from lasagne bites to burgers and southern fried chicken for hearty appetites.

Launch yourself into Latin America in Liverpool ONE’s Bem Brazil for freshly barbecued meats cooked on a traditional Brazilian grill or ‘worship at the altar of meat’ at Reds True Barbecue in Hanover Street (www.truebarbecue.com) which offers food for the soul – baby back ribs, sticky chicken, pulled pork and more from the smoker.

9 – Go crazy

Put your pitching skills to the test at Junkyard Golf Club in Paradise Street for a stag do. There are three 9-hole crazy golf courses created around a weird and wonderful junkyard theme – think UV garage, scrapyard slides and jungle bathtubs. With 27 crazy golf holes, plus themed cocktails, kiosk snacks and all the photo ops, do you even golf bro?

10 – Take over the asylum

Zombie Experiences

Immerse yourself in three hours of horror at Zombie Experiences in Newsham Park where the madness refuses to die! According to reports this was a government facility where the darkest of tests were carried out and the results so terrible the building was shut down with its secrets locked inside. Troops sent in to investigate a breach lost contact so it’s your job to get them out. Not for the faint-hearted – the unexpected is to be expected!